CIA Released Documents

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: HOSTAGE SITUATION STILL UNRESOLVED

Created: 7/30/1990

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO:

Situation Still Unresobed

The situation in Trinidad and Tobago remains highly fluid as gorernmenl and security officials differ over tactics to secure the release of Prime Minister Robinson and several other government officials held

hostagemall radical Muslim group, (fl fyt)

Rebel forces led hy radical Muslim leader Yasin Abu Bakr remain in control of the Parliament building as wellocal radio and

negotiatedffle^wi^^w

units that defied orders and shot at rebel troops and moved against Ihe Parliament building. kobui'.onfjBJ^Bhad agreed to resign, establish an interimold elections withinays, and amnest>

brokered by church leaders collapsed last night,'

re Dei group nas almost no domesticareercent of the population and mostlyis greatly outnumbered by the security forces, comprisingoliceroops. The security situation is deteriorating outside the capital, which has been gutted by fires and looting. There are no reports of harm io theS citizens. tjf tpr)

Regional leaders have condemned the coup attempt and pledged military assistance if requested by Trinidedian authorities. Jamaica reportedly has agreed to pre-position troops in Barbados, where representatives of the seven-nation Regional Security System and Venezuelan and Jamaican officials met lastIT)

Comment The security forces' hardline attitude severely limits the flexibility of the government, headed by Acting President Emmanuel Carter, in resolving the crisis without resorting to force. Unless the security forces can be convinced that any further efforts toettlement that entails amnesty arc nonbinding, some units again may try toeal through unilateral military action. The apparent conviction by security officials that government troops could easily overwhelm rebel forces probably would be strengthened further by the arrival of any regional units.f